Sindh government to continue all two-year degree programmes

Rejecting the federal government’s policy to introduce four-year degree programmes in Pakistan, the Sindh government has decided to continue all the existing two-year degree programmes being offered in the province.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, the provincial chief minister’s adviser on universities and educational boards said that any proposal of the federal Higher Education Commission (HEC) to introduce a four-year degree programme is tantamount to attacking provincial autonomy.

Nisar Ahmed Khuhro announced on the occasion that the Sindh government rejects all such policies of the federal HEC that go against the concept of provincial autonomy. He said that all the universities in the province will continue their two-year degree programmes in accordance with Sindh’s universities law and in pursuance of the idea of provincial autonomy.

He claimed that the very existence of the federal HEC is against the concept of provincial autonomy when all the provinces have established their own higher education commissions. The adviser said that the autonomy of public sector universities in the province is in danger because of the ill-advised polices of the federal HEC.

He said that the Centre has been interfering in the provincial subject of education to maintain its supremacy over the provinces. He also said that the rights of the students of the province looking to get admission in medical colleges have been trampled upon by the Pakistan Medical Commission. Khuhro said that getting rid of two-year degree programmes will frustrate the efforts of a large number of students belonging to the middle- and lower-middle income groups to get higher education.

He said that the Sindh government will not allow the federal HEC to verify the degrees and certificates issued by the educational institutions of the province, adding that only the degree-awarding institutions can carry out attesting responsibilities.

He also said that the Sindh government will raise this issue in the meeting of the Council of Common Interests because there will be no compromise on the subject of provincial autonomy as enshrined in the 18th constitutional amendment.

The adviser said that the Sindh Assembly had passed the provincial universities amendment act, and that a provincial HEC had been formed after the subject of higher education had been devolved to the provinces in pursuance of the 18th amendment.

Replying to a question, Khuhro, who is also the provincial head of the Pakistan Peoples Party, said that no progress has been made to introduce a national curriculum in the country as earlier announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.